In the wake of former President Jimmy Carter’s death, Bay Area residents and politicians remembered the impact of his presidency and the example he set as a civil servant.
California State Senator Scott Weiner, who represents San Francisco, Broadmoor, Colma, Daly City and parts of South San Francisco, called Carter a “great American” who “continued his public service for the rest of his life after leaving office, showing his love for all people everywhere” in a post on X.
The Carter Center confirmed on the social media platform X that the 39th U.S. president had passed away peacefully at his home in Plains, Georgia, on Sunday afternoon. He was 100 years old, the longest-lived president in American history.
Vice President Kamala Harris spoke positively of his term, writing, “As President, he protected our air and water, promoted transparency in government, and brokered a historic peace treaty between Egypt and Israel at Camp David.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom issued a statement highlighting Carter’s efforts as “a tireless champion for human rights and democracy whose unparalleled life of service made the world a better place.”
“President Carter was a man of rare character – whose beliefs ran true and ran deep, whose moral compass never wavered,” Newsom said. “He saw the common humanity in all of us, building bridges between people of different faiths and factions abroad while working to meet the needs of those at home. Despite daunting challenges and trying times, his bright energy and spirit never faltered.”
Lateefah Simon, an Emeryville resident who was elected to Congress this year, posted on X that Carter’s legacy is “a beacon of justice and service,” pointing out his work desegregating schools, championing civil rights and building homes with Habitat for Humanity.
Carter’s impact extended into the Bay Area, as State Senator Dave Cortese, who represents Silicon Valley, looked fondly on a memory of having dinner and talking with the former president.
“One of our lasting memories is having dinner and a great conversation with President Carter at Mike and Mary Ellen Fox’s home in Saratoga. I was fortunate to sit right next to him,” Cortese said.
Some Bay Area residents also mourned the late former president. Janine Von Furst, a 70-year-old Alameda resident, says she briefly met Carter on a trip to Washington D.C., while she was an intern for Illinois Senator Adlai Stevenson III.
“He couldn’t have been a nicer and appreciative man. RIP,” Von Furst said.
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi said that she and her husband were mourning the former president and giving thanks for his life.
“At the heart of President Carter’s public service was his fervent commitment to honoring the spark of divinity within every person,” Pelosi said. “He always defended that spark: whether teaching Sunday school in his beloved Marantha Baptist Church, brokering the landmark Camp David Accords to pave the way to peace or building homes with Habitat for Humanity.”
Carter was well-known for his Habitat for Humanity work. In fact, Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, made a stop in the Bay Area in 2016 as part of their national tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of Habitat’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project.
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To bring attention to the need for affordable housing, the couple helped fix up an East San Jose house.
“People sometimes say to us, ‘Well, you’re only working on one house,’” Carter said to The Mercury News in 2016. “But look at the impact on this couple here when they get their house. That’s profound. The second thing is Habitat sets an example of how we all can help hard-working, low-income and middle-class people and address the basic human right of having a decent place to live.”
The Greater SF branch of Habitat for Humanity also wrote of the former president, “A father, husband and volunteer, former President Carter was instrumental in making Habitat for Humanity what it is today.”
Senator Adam Schiff wrote on X, “President Jimmy Carter leaves a legacy unlike any other. Ceaseless in his service, unbending in his dignity, and revered for his commitment to our common humanity. He fought the good fight and kept the faith — and now he has finished his race.”
California State Senator Jesse Arreguín, who represents Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, Richmond and some West Contra Costa County cities, also wrote on X that “Jimmy Carter was a shining example of what it means to be a public servant,” and encouraged others to “build upon his legacy of advancing human rights, social justice, and peace.”